


Alone a Grain of Sand, Together a Beach

by theonsfavouritetoy



Series: Droughtjoy 2017 [4]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Droughtjoy 2017, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-23
Updated: 2017-08-23
Packaged: 2018-12-19 00:59:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11886576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theonsfavouritetoy/pseuds/theonsfavouritetoy
Summary: Theon builds a sand castle. Jon talks.





	Alone a Grain of Sand, Together a Beach

**Author's Note:**

> Soooo, here's my fourth part for #droughtjoy 2017!
> 
> written for a prompt submitted by anonymous

When the sun starts to rise, Theon feels himself drawn to the beach.  
He tells himself that he's waiting for the Queen, and of course he is, but really he just wants to get away from the castle, nearer to the sea.

His fingers shift through the sand as he's sitting near the flood line, the sand at his feet still wet.  
And absentmindedly they start to form shapes, form round towers, and square gatehouses, big walls, even stables.

A shadow falls over his creation and Theon looks up. Jon Snow.  
His eyes are narrowing and his lips are firmly pressed together and it's such a familiar sight that Theon wants to laugh.

"What you doing there, Greyjoy? That Winterfell?"  
And Theon peers down at the castle, and he realizes what he failed to notice before. The bastard's right. He's made Winterfell out of sand. He doesn't know what to say.

"Did you know? When Sansa was at the Eyrie, she built Winterfell out of snow."  
The thought makes Theon happy, and sad. They all long for Winterfell all the time. At least she's there now.

Jon crouches beside him, his face lightens up a little and he pokes at one of the towers.  
For one second, Theon believes he wants to destroy it, because... because. He doesn't want to think about it, not now, not when he's feeling a tiny shred of peace for a moment.  
But Jon just pokes some holes in the tower. He turns to look at Theon.

"It's broken. Remember?"  
And of course Theon remembers. 

He remembers keeping watch on the tower to see if his father might come for him.  
He remembers sneaking there with Robb to enjoy a forbidden flask of rum when they were boys, Robb no more than eleven years old.  
He remembers hiding there when Lord Stark wanted to tan his hide for some shenanigans.  
He remembers when he brought his first wench up there.  
He remembers sulking up there like a little boy when they found the pups and everyone got one, even Snow, just not him.  
He remembers everything.

Theon looks into Jon's face, and he sees the memories there too.  
Maybe not the same, but not that different, not at all.  
Especially concerning Robb. 

Neither of them wants to speak the name first. Theon turns back to work on Winterfell, adding a little shell, like a pool, in the Godswood, looking around for a tiny piece of driftwood that could be the weirwood tree. Jon, sitting next to him now, is drawing idly in the sand. Theon peeks over and nearly falls flat on his face. 

"Is that... is that supposed to be a kraken?"  
Theon's eyes are round as wheels when he looks at Jon's clumsy artwork.

Jon's gaze is defiant.  
"What?! Of course it's a kraken, it has eight legs, hasn't it?"  
Then he stares at Theon bewildered, for Theon has let himself fall on his back and is roaring with laughter.

"Tentacles, Snow. Krakens have tentacles!"  
When Theon gets enough of his composure back to look at Jon again, he's sure he sees the ghost of a smile on his lips, even when his frown is deeper than ever before.  
They stare at Winterfell in the sand again, when Jon finally says it.

"Robb. Robb would've never wanted for you to lose your laugh. Your head, maybe."  
Theon is grateful beyond words, for the Name, for the sincerity in Jon's words, for the laughter. 

Jon gets up.  
"I'm heading up to the cliffs, the Queen should arrive soon. That's where she'll land. Want to come?"

But Theon shakes his head.  
Jon doesn't push his Invitation.  
But before he goes, he smiles down at Theon, a small, rueful smile. The words seem to be stuck in his throat, but he says them anyway.

"In some way, you're family. And you belong. Don't forget that. Again."

In the distance, a small dot appears on the horizon.


End file.
